Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi - Reshevled Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

Have you ever accidentally fell into a textual relationship... or friendship?  You know, where you just text someone and never hang out?  Where the very essence of your friendship lies between the words inside your phone?  Well, that what happened to Penny Lee, when she awkwardly ran into Sam while he was having a panic attack.  They exchange numbers and become each other's "emergency contact." 

And such is the basis for Mary H. K. Choi's debut novel Emergency Contact, which has been noted for being perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Rainbow Rowell.  AND having read all three, I can assure you that it is! 

So a bit more about this novel.  Penny's high school life was pretty much non-eventful.  She had a boyfriend that she liked but wasn't passionate about, she had okay friends, and pretty good grades, but nothing really stood out.  Her single mother always tried to be the "cool" mom, and more of a friend figure rather than a parental one.  Now Penny is off to college in Austin, Texas, and she's EXCITED.  1) because she no longer feels like she has to watch over her mother and 2) because now she can pursue her dream and actually start to cultivate her life.        

Meanwhile.... Sam, also in college for film, is poor.  He literally only has $17 dollars in his bank account, and he's working in a cafe.  Sam is a pancake man, and he sleeps on a mattress above the cafe.  He's trying to get over his ex-girlfriend.  In fact, he's been clean of all communication with her, that is until she shows up one day to tell him that she's been a few weeks late.......     

I adored the premise of this book, but it took me a while to get trough it.  Was my reading slump causing me to lose my attention span? I'm not sure, but I DO think that I'm going to add it to my I Read Y.A. Book Club list.  So Dewey readers, I leave you with a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans.... or pancakes.... whichever you prefer.  

P.S.  Sam didnt't really specifically make pancakes in the novel (he was a pie and donut guy),but I think imagining pancakes only makes the novel better.  

Until the next read!

~Jessica